We Connect with Emily Clark & Dean Seymour
It has been a long winter with so much going on and we hope that all of you are ready for summer! Thank you for tuning in all winter long and hopefully our conversations have helped yourself and loved ones struggling with their mental wellness. So no better way to finish off Season III of We Connect than with these two guests! A local icon / national treasure inspiring young athletes from coast to coast. As well a long time friend who has had hockey in his blood from a very young age and now works with Hockey Canada on maximizing player and coaching development. This is going to be an amazing conversation!
Emily Clark - Emily is a member of the Canadian Women's Hockey Team and made her debut at the Four Nations Cup in 2014. A native of Saskatoon, SK., Emily's hockey journey led her to the University of Wisconsin where she graduated with a B.S. in Economics. While in Madison, Emily achieved athletic success which was the precursor of her national team journey. At Wisconsin, she won a NCAA Championship in her senior year in addition to 4 WCHA League Championships, conference accolades (All-Rookie Team, All-Academic Teams & Conference All-Star teams) and having reached the Frozen Four all four years, while at the Big Ten Conference institution.
During her Hockey Canada career, Emily has won 2 Olympic medals, including Gold at Beijing 2022 and Silver at PyeongChang 2018. 6 IIHF World Championship medals including back-to-back Gold in 2021 and 2022, 3 Silver and a Bronze. After graduation from Wisconsin, Clark became an inaugural member of the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association (PWHPA) since its inception in 2019 playing for the region of Montreal's squad. During the 2020-21 campaign, Team Bauer (Montreal) won the Canadian Secret Cup Championship. Currently, she is a member of Team Harvey's during the PWHPA 2022-23 season.
Off the ice Emily has lent her time in-person and virtually with two charitables endeavors: Heros Hockey and Hockey Gives Blood and via partner Sherwood Hockey, she is making a donation to the Canadian Tire Corporation's "Jumpstart" youth sports initiative that goes directly to helping kids access sport and play in 2023 in her home province of Saskatchewan.
Dean Seymour - Dean was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After playing out his minor hockey career he moved to Yorkton to play Jr Hockey. After two all-star seasons with the Terriers and a berth in the Centennial Cup Dean received a Scholarship to Northern Michigan University.
After college, Dean went on to play nine years of pro hockey that saw his career take him from the United States to Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, highlighted by an invite to the 2001 Spengler cup. Dean now lives in Calgary and is the Manager of NextGen/Player Development at Hockey Canada. Dean's role with Hockey Canada is to try and maximize both coach and player development across the country so members can reach their full potential. Dean continues his passion for the game by leading on ice development sessions, updating, and creating content for the Hockey Canada Network App, coaching and mentoring.
In Deans spare time he enjoys the mountain air, golfing and spending time with his wife Erinn, his stepson Ben, and his son Max.
In Deans spare time he enjoys the mountain air, golfing and spending time with his wife Erinn, his stepson Ben, and his son Max.
So let's talk about our young athletes, the pressures to perform, what that journey looks like and how to protect their mental health...